How was your weekend? Hopefully lovely, warmth filled and memorable. Much like most of the female breathing population, I stampeded into a screening of Sex And The City part deux this past weekend, lunched & dinned with friends, shared good times with much overdue laundry and chocolate cupcakes, endured another year of the beauty that is the BAM street festival here in BK, and finally said the goodbyes to straggly damaged ends.

A trim that lapsed into a lovely shaped coif, yes? I like. It’s hot (literally), and this.makes.me.HAPPY! I do think my hair growth surprised even my accomplice in the snip snip session. Heck, it surprised me!  While my hair had indeed grown in inches, my shrinkage had also increased, in some ways masking the amount of growth I’d accumulated over the months. Shrinkage is a fascinating thing isn’t it?

While not the best pics to show the new do, this does show my first attempt in a while at a successful wash-n-go before heading out the door to hang with some friends. Success is fun with wash-n-go’s, especially during the warmer months when frankly, all you want anywhere near your head is either water or a pillow. Good to go for the rest of the Summer with this style, and  HUGE thank you to my ‘trim specialist’ for her services;-).

Ultimate goal this trim cycle was to remove the VERY last of my damaged ends from over two years ago….! It’s been tooooo long, and to see the remainder of my heat damaged/color treated ends fall to the floor, filled me with the greatest sense of triumph! My heat damaged escapade was the sole reason that lead me to CARE for my hair instead leaving it in the hands of another…it led me to start this blog!

‘Tis a story for another day, but for now I’m glad to be moving forward and enjoying a new sense of freedom!

It’s undeniable, in the air and all around. If you can’t feel it, save yourself – open the window and breeeathe it in. Summer’s Here!!

How u Doin Suuummmmmer!!

K…nuff bout that, but Memorial Day strikes this weekend…the unofficial yet still legit start of Summer… and I’m giddy, restless, excited and also praying for sunshine, laughs, and for that damn hole to be plugged, nay…good food!

I’m playing the part, dusting off the ‘ol dress collections, which while leaving much to be desired, is still very much welcomed with temps leaning towards the 90 degree mark. So while in the midst of getting glossy and well rested I’ll be sporting a few of my new finds for the summer that I purchased a few weeks back. Coincidentally, they both have the trendy glimmer of turquoise…all the more to love I say!

I mentioned Alona Lahav and her beautiful jewelry late last year, and have not been able to get the pretty pieces out of my mind ever since. Apropos, yes? I snagged the Chai necklace pictured above & it has instantly become a staple in my wardrobe.

New Favorite store find comes from Instant Vintage & the crafty DIY gal Alicia. Stoned & Hammered is LOVE because without thinking, I’m able to grab & go w/this piece knowing it will go with just about everything in my closet…sashay worthy or not, it clicks. I LIVE for encore statement pieces, and this is a FAV.

I’m not a trend tracker….well no, I lie. There was that one time, in High School…w/prairie skirts…AND…

That’s where it ended, but the point is I’m learning to be smarter with accessorizing & pairing intricate, beautiful finds & coincidentally they all happen to be handmade! It’s all good….VERY good, and here’s hoping your weekend is filled with just as many laughs, good food, air conditioning and memories. The re-tellable kind.

Enjoy the Weekend;-)

I’ve only been natural for a little over ten years, & I say only simply because it was not until recently that I’d unequivocally & splendiferously… fallen in love with my hair. Hey, it does happen.

So it came as a surprise when feelings of envy began to slowly creep in after hearing & watching those who today proclaim their one year, three year or even one month ‘nappiversary’ to the world, allowing the naysayers & even those on board for the journey know that this does indeed go way beyond ‘just hair.’ After ten years, I’ve long since stopped marking these occasions, instead I look towards networking!

In the community of natural hair, there are connections to be made, twist-outs to admire, inspirational words to pocket and pass on to other naturals along their way, & for these things and countless more, I’m eternally grateful. Networking is a practice many mentors, colleagues and even a few high school advisers would often hint as the # 1 tool in procuring a job. Not only were they right, but using this tool in numerous other areas of life can reap some amazing results as well.

Ten years ago there wasn’t a Black Girl With Long Hair to turn to or a Natural Sunshine.com to post beautiful pics of Fro on, there was simply a hand-held mirror, a bevy of doubt and a continual lack of support.  Today we have endless sites and blogs devoted solely to caring for natural hair, many whom have also gone above & beyond in planning local Natural Hair Meetups & product swaps in their respective cities. If you haven’t already attended a natural hair meetup, be proactive! Search for one in your town, city, congregation or better yet, start one yourself!

Thankfully today there is a strong support system in the natural hair community, one that is growing each day. If there is a social platform out there, no doubt the ‘naturalhair’ likes will congregate, discuss & be merry. As recently as last year, many natural hair women have taken to Twitter to discuss and support each other during an hour long #naturalhair chat on Sunday evenings, a concept that ten years ago I would never fathom!

There are entrepreneurs such as Fleurtzy of Texture Playground & BeijaFlor Naturals that have been birthed as a result of the natural network, many who are still waiting in the wings, already grasping onto the inspiration of those before them, anticipating the possibilities and excitements of ‘what if.’ What if natural hair became embraced by all & no longer needed a disclaimer or T-shirt when rockin the fro?

Because I still remember what wasn’t a little over ten years ago, I have continuing faith in what undoubtedly lies ahead for the natural hair community. Though, if you find yourself growing tired of all this talk surrounding natural hair, it’s politics & implications – try looking into the meaning of self-acceptance, sisterhood, camaraderie. No doubt you’ll still find a natural headed femme, rockin a fro, twist, braidout etc., looking fly, feeling fab & happily growing.

I’ve been having a hard time believing over the past few weeks, that I am in desperate need of yet another trim. I’ve been in a  no-holds bar situation with my ends over the past few wash sessions, and yesterday the stubborn knots and excessive shed hair wore me out, to the point of pure exhaustion! I haven’t it in me to fine tooth comb endless bloody knots! Summer’s here…it’s too hot to mess with something that’s easily correctable.

I did notice the faux ends a little over a month ago, took note – kept it moving. Last week did find me abandoning le ol Denman indefinitely until I remedied le situation, but after styling the hair in two-strand twists last week, the small bump in the road looked more like a boulder, suspending any combing action.

I never have a specific timetable set up to trim & maintain the ends of my hair, I trust in my own growing frustrations during the wash process to help guide me, but even I will admit to just taking toooo long to nip this in the bud. Mistake # 1 was of course two-stranding the hair when my ends were in no shape to prolong the style. As the twists neared day 7, they became a bit more dry, particularly the ends and letting loose each individual strand was very tasking! The ends were dry,dry…DRY! kNOTS, kNOTS kNOTS!

yeah…

The knots were large, unruly & I kept returning to a blend of essential oils to help loosen each snarl. After dipping each knot in a good dab of oil, the knots unfurled and let be. This was the only saving grace barring me from reaching for a pair of sheers.

Did not mind the pre-poo this week due to lack of appropriate condish and simply washed hair in sections and continued on to DC with Aussie Moist conditioner mixed with AOHR and Afroveda’s Shikakai Hair Growth Elixer (specifically on the ends) to calm the rough,brittle feeling while hair was under a conditioner cap for two hours.

Styled w/Qhemet Bioglics Amla & Olive Heavy Creme under the Cocoa Tree Detangling Ghee. Used way too much of the heavy cream, and ended with twists that resulted in little of my natural texture definition. I could call this hair epi a big #FAIL, except I’m already way ahead in finding ways to make this style work. A full work week awaits, and to be defeated by my own neglectful mistakes is just silly. And to be honest…are all our ‘#FAILS‘ really ever that bad?

At work today, I found my hands in my hair more often than on the phone or keyboards, manipulating ever so slightly…rearranging this here pin, sweeping my ever lovin growin bangs to one side, and up-sweeping the back into countless up…thingies. It was tiring, and in the end I felt as if all my previous efforts at styling my hair the previous day meant nothing….silly, yes?

Each week I take time out to care for my hair, and while there will be inevitable mistakes along the way, I’m refusing to wrong myself for a job that’s seemingly fine. Actually, I would say it was better than fine.

Over the years I’ve been guilty of being much too hard on Fro. Blaming her texture, inability to hold a curl/style after three days instead of seven. Asking her to make up her mind and CHOOSE either loose/tight/kinky/curly and just run with with…but do not forget to clue me in! We’ve had easy moments where the only thing she craved was either a pudding or a custard to make her twirls and twerks come to life. Good times…

Earlier in the year I did promise a more easy going road ahead for the both of us, and for the most part I’ve kept my word.  Instead of enduring another few weeks of knotted up frustrations and insensible concerns, I’m choosing to access.

Time for a trim. Let’s make it happen.

Favorite new blog, Gorgeous images …

*This is an oldie submitted by me a while back that I’m glossing over now. Thought I’d re-post to let the good hair karma flow in honor of another year being natural…

“…recreate yourself in your own image, don’t take no for an answer, question everything and blindly accept nothing, take an active part in your own life.”

I came across this quote a few weeks ago, struggled to find a pen & paper to help commit to memory and continue to reference back to it periodically. It’s early in the ’10 year, yet by the day it’s fast becoming a new favorite. Why I love? It reminds me of starting points, the beginnings and freshness of embarking on something remarkable…a familiar track I’m aiming hard to find again in the New Year, & because it’s as versatile as lovely words can get, I’m applying it to my on-going quest for a head full of naturally healthy hair.

Being Natural for 10 years by far does not exclude anyone from hair mistakes. The beginning of what many naturals refer to as their ‘journey’ was bumpy, full of well concealed bruises & a sea-sawed ego. This past year left me mindful of that fact, but also thankful to have woken up from my own foolishness. It’s a New Year, though I’m not one for resolutions, never have. I’m bound to contradict myself in some capacity, but what I do dig is reinvention & the quest for something greater. It irks me just a tad that the surface is mostly scratched on Jan 1st of every year, & not on a more continual basis, but…eh.

I’m stuck on ’10′ because by default, it has some semblance of magic to it. Is it just me? I feel that not only has a page been turned, another chapter has begun. What I’m ready for is positive change, a chance to ‘take an active part’ in my own life. Being natural for 10 years, no one offers either congrats or praise. Mostly, it’s quiet time made for reflection. What have you done right/wrong in those years that lead you to ‘here?’ The honest answer is frankly, too much. The good, the bad & the very ugly have all been introduced to my hair over the past few years, all intermittently. This past year’s heat damage finaglement, by far the biggest lesson; lead me to question everything I’d previously learned about natural hair from how to care for it, to how to break up with a hairstylist who continually harmed my bouffant each time I handed over $60+.

Last year I broke all the rules by setting some of my own, snagged enough gumption to style & coif my own hair, set my own prices and reaped the fruits of my labor. Yet that is what journey’s are made for & what they are inherently about, “recreating yourself in your own image…” This go round though, I’m through with commencement, and done analyzing/strategizing the how to’s of every hair style/regime. I’m ready to graduate, I’m ready to quit the life of the ambiguous natural & delve into the fro-ishesness that my hair so readily deserves. I’m ready for the fun to begin.